Now that another NHL season is upon us, we’re going to hear continued balderdash about how the game has never been better.

Which I don’t buy for a second.

The way I see it, the game is certainly not as entertaining as it was just a few short years ago, and this isn’t a rant about how Eddie Shore was the greatest defenceman ever or how I pine for “old-time” hockey.

In some cases, the game has to be tweaked to keep up with the times, like adding some surface size to the ice so the bigger and faster players have more room to do what they do best, like wind up for a slap shot.

As a guy who grew up watching and playing the game (marginally), I would have hoped by now that the NHL would have caught on like wild fire across the U.S. But it has not. The truth is, the NHL continues to be a weak cousin on the North American professional sports scene. Some suggest it’s fourth in the pecking order, but an argument could be made that NHL hockey, in terms of real following, has fallen to sixth; behind the NFL, MLB and NBA, as well as NASCAR and golf. But that shouldn’t be. Hockey is a wonderful game. Unfortunately, NHL hockey is often boring. Sure they are good games, but there are too many low-scoring, suffocating snorefests. The game can, and should, be improved upon, but first we have to figure out what is wrong. Here are some things about the NHL, and the league, I don’t like:

- The fact that the self-proclaimed television geniuses have yet to figure out how to translate the speed and physicality on to the small screen. High def definitely helps, but it’s still not there. I believe part of the reason why NHL hockey hasn’t caught on fire in the U.S. is because the speed and the hitting still does not translate well on to television. Surely there’s a solution.

- NHL coaches who concentrate on defence over scoring, though I’m not sure what to do about that — perhaps award an extra point for any team that scores more than five goals in a game, something like that.

- Weenies who push for a ban on fighting. Guys I grew up with, who have been watching NHL their entire life, enjoy a good scrap. It’s part of the NHL game. It’s not field hockey. It’s not volleyball. It’s not handball. Why take fighting out of the NHL? Because of concussions? If that’s the case, ban all hitting in hockey, ban NFL football, ban boxing, ban MMA, ban downhill skiing ... Guys who strap on the pads know what they’re getting into, and they gladly accept the risks. I’d rather have two guys partake in fisticuffs than some rat skating around spearing guys and then mouthing off without fear of retribution. At the same time, the NHL should continue to minimize other parts of the game that can lead to concussions, such as hits from behind and touch icing.

- Enlightened media guys who feel compelled to mock everything Don Cherry says because they’re smarter and more sophisticated and supposedly understand the game better. There’s a reason why Grapes is so popular. It’s because he speaks for the average fan.

- The fact that the NHL still hasn’t figured out how to market their stars. Look at how the NBA does it. I appreciate the ‘team-first’ philosophy of the NHL, but you have to push the superstars more.

- The fact that NHL people are still pretty conservative in terms of having a grand vision for the game. The outdoor games were a rare hit. But they have to keep pushing the envelope. I think it would be fantastic, for instance, if the NHL added the championship team from each of the top European pro leagues (i.e. the KHL, Swiss, German and Swedish Leagues) into the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Sort of like the F.A. Cup scenario. Imagine the interest.

- The fact that playoff games go right through to June. It’s ridiculous. Hockey is a cold-weather sport. As the temperature heats up, interest goes down. Cut the schedule and get it over by the end of April or early May.

- Far too many games, as Ottawa Senators star Daniel Alfredsson suggested this week. The fewer games, the higher level players perform. All these games are nothing but a money grab. My photographer buddy Jack (The Scamp) Boland, a big hockey guy, points out that one the reasons why the NFL is so popular is because they only play 16 games a year and every game is an event and every game is important.

- Too many teams. Diluted product. Ridiculous markets. Enough said. Imagine how great the game would be with even 24 teams? Imagine third-line guys who are actually really good?

- There are so many media insiders now, that the term ‘insider’ has lost its cachet. I want to hear from more NHL “outsiders”. Guys who aren’t afraid to piss off GMs, teams and players.

- The fact that the players all seem to be programmed when talking to the media. Cliches have always been around, but now they abound.

- The NHLPA. All these union brothers, most of whom are already financially set for life, rushing over to Europe to take away jobs from other professional hockey players. Great guys.

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Plenty to fix in the NHL

Now that another NHL season is upon us, we’re going to hear continued balderdash about how the game has never been better.

Which I don’t buy for a second.

The way I see it, the game is certainly not as entertaining as it was just a few short years ago, and this isn’t a rant about how Eddie Shore was the greatest defenceman ever or how I pine for “old-time” hockey.